Jake and Marie, what were you thinking?

I contemplated writing a long explanation about why I had out here because I know a lot of people have been saying negative things to Marie about how foolish our decision was. I have made a lot of foolish decisions, and so has Marie... this was not one of them. I haven't regretted for a second this move we made, especially in light of some of the sacrifices others have made to get out here.

I was going to explain to you, in detail, how the Army works, and how the timing of any other move would have put undue stress on my family, (and trust me, Marie would concur that the stress she is under now is not as bad as it would have been if we would have chosen that route)

In case you're curious, here is a brief explanation:

The only reason I would have stayed in my job is to alleviate stress on my family, so that move would have been counter-productive. The deception I was expected to engage in or approve of is too complicated to try and explain, but suffice it to say I got out of that business at the right time for more than just that reason. Aside from the moral dilemma, The plan that was developed in June and July by my team was set to begin October 1st. In this plan, the brunt of the work for the year was set to take place in the first quarter, (Oct-Dec) During that quarter, we were expected to work 60-80 hours a week, and treat it as a deployment away from our families. If I would have stayed, I would have no choice but to work those hours thru December, and if I wasn't successful, it would have continued. Some teams are forced to sleep in their offices if they don't meet their quotas.

That was set to begin October 1st, and my last official day of Active Duty was September 30th.
I carefully analyzed my work environment before making this decision, and prayerfully considered my options. I discussed it with Marie, and she was adamantly opposed to staying in recruiting, and so was I. I knew I could tough it out if I needed to, but I didn't want to drag my family through that again. I enjoyed my time as a recruiter, but it was very hard on Marie, and if you ask her which situation she would prefer, she wouldn't hesitate to tell you this one. I'm also sure if you asked Marie, she would tell you one of things that made it so difficult was the fact that she was sacrificing her husband for the army, which may be a noble cause for some, but nobody asked her to do that, and I shouldn't expect her to.

Of course, this begs the ultimate question... Then what will you do? I had no skills I could use that would give me a comparable income, I had no degree, and a persistent calling to the ministry. What would we do for money? Should I try to finish school first? I could have used the GI Bill for 18 months, and squeaked by with a 4 yr degree, and then headed out to seminary, but this would have left me very little to use for seminary. Part of the reason we choose to come out here right away is because it was the best use of the resources we had available. We wanted to use as much of the government money as we could to get through the most important part of my training to be a pastor, and then, if God is willing, finish up my degree after seminary if I am so inclined. This has been a difficult but rewarding process. Over the last three months, I've seen God's gracious provision in countless ways, and I am so very thankful.

So in a nutshell, I hope that helps any naysayers at least understand our thought process. Much more could be said, but please understand this... This was not a decision that was made lightly, and I made the best decision for my family. In spite of the recent difficulties of getting the house rented, both Marie and I are absolutely thrilled to move on to the next chapter of our lives. God has proven Himself to be faithful, and I even though I miss Marie and Jude, and wish things would have gone more according to plan, we are still thankful for this opportunity, and wouldn't change a thing... except for maybe hiring someone else to do our bathroom. :)

I have to say thank you, to God, first and foremost, but also to the people He used to help us through this process, regardless of how they felt about it.

THANK YOU... Mom and Dad, Jay, Steve and Mary, Joe, Ian, Larry, MICHELLE!, Laura, Seth, SCOTT, Jeff and Jill, Mike and Rebecka, Uncle Jeff!!!, Dave, Kevin and Kelsey, Jesse H, and so many many others I'm sure I didn't think of. I'm sure after i post this I'll say OH YEAH! I forget them!

packy packy

I have 22 days before I drive across the country to begin a journey I've only dreamed about for the past several years, and even as I write this my wife asks me, "is this really the best thing you could be doing with your time?"

As much as she is no stranger to seeing me waste time in the midst of a seemingly insurmountable amount of tasks, I am no stranger to being overwhelmed with various duties that seem impossible to achieve in the time allotted. I can only say this: God is good. He is faithful. Sometimes I have to chuckle when I see the looks on the faces of the people who critique my time/projects ratio. Yes, I need to still work, finish up distance ed courses, pack my entire house, finish my basement, find a suitable renter, rent a place in CA, process out of the Active Duty, get finances in order, complete yard work, fix my house up for renters, and other odds and ends that seem to add up so much... (I spent the entire day yesterday installing a new toilet in my upstairs bathroom... long story)

I can say this with full assurance. I'm not worried. I'm not overwhelmed. A lot needs to be done, but God has done much more with much less (like create a universe from nothing.) As soon as I saw that the Master's Seminary Orientation began August 17th, I turned and said to my wife, "It's going to take a miracle to make that happen." Believe me when I tell you that miracle is taking place before our eyes, and it's nothing short of what God did with Gideon. I am enjoying being a part of it, and am anxiously looking forward to the coming weeks, months, and years.